Cartoons and Chicken Soup
by xCleverFox
Summary: Pre-series, Weechester. Just a short little one-shot concerning an ill Sammy, a caring Dean and the amazing healing abilities of chicken soup


Disclaimer: The usual drill, I don't own Supernatural nor any of the characters

It was three in the morning and Dean was awakened by the feel of the mattress he was sleeping on dipping with the added weight of his baby brother. At first the eight-year-old was on high alert but then his sleepy brain realized that it was just Sammy and he calmed down though he was a little bit irked at having been woken from a sound sleep by the sometimes annoying younger boy.

"Sammy…it's too early…" he grumbled in a groggy and slightly irritated tone of voice.

Dean felt bad about that a moment later when his little brother ended up snuggling against his side and he felt even through both their pajamas just how warm the other boy's skin was.

Sammy had a fever.

"Don' feels good Dee," Sammy said in a slightly whiny tone of voice, his gaze going to his brother despite the fact that it was still dark in the motel room that they were sharing and so he couldn't really see more than the older boy's outline. And that was just because of the annoying neon sign that was located right outside their window on a pole so that it shone into the window and provided light despite the curtains.

All of the irritation that he had felt at being woken by his brother vanished when Sammy said that he didn't feel good, the way that his baby brother shortened his name not bothering him. Sammy had been calling him Dee since the younger boy learned to talk, that had actually been his first word since he couldn't pronounce Dean the correct way.

Dee had just been easier.

"What doesn't feel good? Anything hurt?" Dean asked, the boy rolling over and flipping on the lamp that was located by the bedside table so that he could actually see his little brother. The smaller boy's hair was damp with sweat and that sort of scared Dean but he tried not to show that as he waited to see if Sammy was going to give him a response.

"Jus' don' feels good…'n 'm cold," Sammy said in a whimpering voice, the younger boy once again attempting to snuggle up against his brother despite the fact that Dean sitting up had made that harder for him.

"You shouldn't be cold… you're all sweaty and gross," Dean said as he looked at Sammy though when his brother attempted to snuggle with him that of course made his over protective big brother instincts kick into overdrive. There was no way that he was going to deny his baby brother anything that was going to offer him comfort. It didn't matter if he was sweaty and gross, that was just something that he was going to deal with.

"'m not gross," Sammy denied when his brother told him that, the little boy looking up into his brother's eyes with the trusting nature that he'd always had. The two of them had always been close and Sammy had always depended on Dean, it didn't matter who else was around if there was something that the child needed then he was going to his big brother in order to get it.

That was just the way that things worked.

"Yes you are…" Dean said when the younger boy denied being gross, his gaze again going to Sammy's sweaty hair but he shrugged that off after a moment and just pushed the covers away from himself. "C'mon, we'll go watch cartoons, that might make you feel better." This suggestion was made because Dean remembered that when he'd been sick when he was younger his mom would always let him curl up on the couch and watch cartoons, and she would give him chicken soup. So that was what he was thinking that Sammy needed right now to feel better.

"Okay Dee," Sammy said quietly when his brother suggested cartoons.

Any other time the boy would probably have been bouncing around all excited at the prospect but as further proof of just how lousy he felt right now Sammy just quietly agreed with his brother. That was odd for the child, Sammy didn't really do anything quietly, and it was once again serving as cause for concern for his older brother. Dean was quickly starting to wish that his dad was around so that he could be the one to take care of this. The thought of calling the man did enter into his mind but he knew that he didn't have any way of reaching him and he also knew that while he could call Pastor Jim or one of his dad's other friends it was probably not a good idea to disturb them.

In the end Dean decided that it was probably best if he just dealt with this himself.

So after getting Sammy to agree to his suggestion he wrapped his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and ushered him from the bed and then into the living room area of the crummy motel room where they were staying. It was a suite type room so there was a bedroom, a living room/kitchen area and a bathroom. Going over to the couch, which could be made into a bed, Dean got his little brother settled, going back to the bedroom to grab a blanket which he ended up dragging through the motel room and over to the couch.

"Here, wrap up in this," Dean said as he offered the blanket to Sammy.

Sammy looked at Dean with an almost plaintive look in his eyes when his big brother offered him the blanket. "Aren' you gonna sit with me Dee?" he asked in what could only be described as a pitiful voice, his gaze remaining locked on his brother as he gave Dean the tried and true puppy dog eyes. This was a begging look that he had perfected in his four years of life and it seldom failed him when he was attempting to get Dean to do what he wanted.

Seldom being the key word because there were those times when even that look didn't serve to get him what he wanted.

This was shaping up to be one of those times.

"I will in a minute Sammy," Dean said to his kid brother, trying to avoid looking at those puppy eyes of his because they always made him want to cave. Even when he really didn't want to do what Sammy wanted from him it was still very hard to tell the kid no when Sammy was looking at him like this. "I need to get you some chicken soup…that's really important for getting better."

"What?" Sammy questioned, looking at his brother as though Dean had lost his mind.

"I'm telling you Sammy, just trust me on this," Dean said, noticing the way that his brother was looking at him but ignoring it in favor of going to the kitchenette so that he could rummage around in their supplies and hope that they had what he was looking for. It took a lot of searching and he was about to give up hope but then he found it, a can of chicken noodle soup. It was condensed soup and not the greatest stuff in the world but to Dean it was like finding the Holy Grail. Clutching the can in his hand he went in search of a can opener, grateful that this was one supply that they always brought along. Usually it was put to use opening the spaghetti-Os that Sammy practically lived on but right now Dean was using it to open the can of life saving chicken soup.

As he did this he could hear the sound of the television, heralding the fact that Sammy had turned it on to search for cartoons, and that gained a slight smile from Dean. He didn't dwell on that for long however and just went back to what he was doing, opening the can of soup and then going in search of a bowl.

That was a search that was less fruitful than the search for the soup itself had been.

"Dangit," he complained when he realized that they didn't have any bowls that were clean, the child thinking about that one for a moment before he just grabbed a spoon and plopped it right in the can. "Good enough," he said before making his way back to where he had left Sammy waiting on the couch, the kid plopping down beside him and looking at his blanket cocooned brother. "Here, eat this," he said, looking at Sammy expectantly.

Dean made the gesture as though he were going to hand the can of soup over to his brother but when Sammy heard the words eat this his response to that was to simply open his mouth. Leaving Dean to stare at his baby brother who was sitting there wrapped up in the blanket with his mouth open like a little baby bird or something.

"Really?" Dean asked as he stared at Sammy.

To which Sammy just replied by nodding his head in the affirmative.

For a moment Dean debated his options as he sat there and looked at his brother who was still holding his mouth gaped open expectantly. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Sammy that he could eat the soup by himself but then something stopped him.

No, it was his job to take care of his baby brother.

That was something that had been practically drilled into his being from the age of four, after the fire where they lost their mother and their chance at a normal life all in one go. And it was something that Dean had always taken seriously, even if he wasn't old enough to truly understand all that it entailed. Or to understand that this burden that had been thrust upon him really wasn't the least bit fair to him.

"Fine…" he said with an exaggerated exhale, picking up the spoon and starting to feed the soup to his brother. He had to do it slowly, so that he didn't make a mess, but he didn't even bother to complain about it.

Because he wanted to make Sammy feel better and he needed him to eat the magic soup.

Sammy looked at his brother as Dean blew out the breath but when his brother offered him a spoonful of the soup he did eat it. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted it, it was room temperature and not that great, but he ate it anyway because it was what his brother wanted him to do. And while he could be the king of brats at times he did love his big brother and he wanted to make Dean happy.

"Whatcha think Sammy? Good huh?" Dean asked as he fed the soup to his brother, really hoping that this stuff was going to make Sammy feel better.

Sammy started to tell his brother that no, it wasn't good, but then something stopped him from doing that. Maybe it was the look that Dean had on his face or the fact that he was trying so hard but in the end something kept the little one from saying what was on his mind. "Mhm," he said instead, lying about just how good the soup was but he only did it so that he didn't end up hurting his brother's feelings.

Because even at four years old he knew the power of words and he didn't want to hurt Dean.

Dean smiled slightly and continued to feed the soup to his brother until it was gone and then at that point he set the empty can and the spoon aside and just wrapped his arms around his baby brother. "That'll make you feel better Sammy, promise," Dean said to the smaller boy, really hoping that his words were the truth even as he spoke them.

Sammy looked up at his brother and then leaned against Dean when the older boy pulled him into a hug. Resting his head against his big brother's chest the little one found that he was feeling better than he had been before he'd woken his brother earlier. But it didn't have anything to do with the cartoons nor the soup, it was more because Dean was there for him, taking care of him and making sure that he got better.

That was really the best medicine for the little guy.

Just having Dean there with him, having that support.

Of course he was too little to understand that this was the case and he wouldn't have been able to explain it to anyone else. But that didn't matter and there was no need to explain it, the little one just nestled up against his big brother and let out a little sigh of contentment. He still had a fever and he was still sick but just having Dean there with him made him feel better.

And Dean was more than willing to offer that support. Sure they fought from time to time, as all siblings are prone to doing, but when push came to shove Dean would always be there for Sammy.

Promise.

A/N: It's not anime, holy crap. I needed something to de-stress and this was what I came up with. Just a little one shot so there is no commitment for me to break. Hope you enjoyed, a review would be greatly appreciated.


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